I have always fund very interesting how myths create a misconception in our society. "Columbus's efforts to obtain support for his voyages were not hampered by a European belief in a flat Earth (1)." Of course, having a child Trisomy 21 (T21) has made me deal with many myths about people with T21. Being part a multicultural family have let me compare how they vary from country to country and what the truth is.
1st. Myth
My favorite myth in the USA is People with Down syndrome are always happy.
My favorite myth in Panama is People with Down syndrome easily get mad.Truth: People with Down syndrome have feelings just like everyone else in the population. They respond to positive expressions of friendship and they are hurt and upset by inconsiderate behavior.
My son is 2-year old and he is having the same range of emotions as a 2-year old without the syndrome. He started to have temper tantrums when he was getting closer to 1 1/2 year old, which is very typical. When he cannot reach his goal or we don't let him to do something, he will show frustration by crying, yelling, fighting, scratching, hitting, or biting. When he didn't have teeth, I used to laugh if he bit me. But now that he has teeth some teeth, I protect myself because he bit on my face one day. He gets very happy when he sees us coming back from work, when it is time to play with daddy or when mommy goes to his room in the mornings. What toddler doesn't get happy to see mommy and daddy!
Tommy refused to go upstairs because
he wanted to watch TV with Daddy
People with T21 are human been regardless the syndrome; they all comes from families with different customs, cultural backgrounds, social status, religious believes, moral values, and a unique set of genes. The combination of these factors creates their unique personalities, as yours and mine.
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(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions
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